Orchards are often watered using above ground sprinklers. The sprinklers are typically of the impact type and produce a circular watering pattern. In order to ensure that most of the ground in an orchard is watered, the watering patterns of the sprinklers often overlap and wet the trunks of the trees. It has been found desirable to water orchards at relatively low rates for extended periods of time to keep the surface from becoming saturated. However such watering keeps the trunks of the trees wet for long periods so that mold and other harmful infestations of the bark of the tree can result.
In order to keep tree trunks dry a sprinkler flow diverter called a Stream Splitter made by Rainbird of Glendora, Calif. has been introduced. This device includes a pair of upwardly extending generally flat arms, the ends of which are apparently bent to produce the unwatered areas. It is mounted to the riser supporting the sprinkler head by a U-bolt. Mounting the devices can be a rather awkward and time consuming procedure, a definite disadvantage when one considers the great number of sprinkler heads in an orchard. Further, such a device does not appear to be easily adaptable for protecting more than two trees.
Another type of prior art sprinkler deflector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,993. This type of sprinkler deflector includes a hat like deflector member mounted above the sprinkler head. Numerous flat radial fingers are bent downwardly to vary the shape of the watered area. Although such a sprinkler deflector apparently can produce complex watering patterns, the water is deflected downwardly so that overwatering near the sprinkler head can result.
Although the problem of allowing tree trunks to remain wet for extended periods of time has been recognized and attempts have been made to solve the problem, available sprinkler deflectors have shortcomings which make them less than ideal for solving the problem of keeping the tree trunks dry.